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Turkish Press Review - Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

- Wednesday's dailies cover the reactions to the brutal killing of a young Turkish woman, Ozgecan Aslan, and the extreme weather conditions in Istanbul.

ISTANBUL (AA) – The Anadolu Agency does not verify these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Developments on the brutal killing of a young Turkish woman last week continue to monopolize dailies’ front pages on Wednesday.

VATAN quotes Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan as saying "It is not about unemployment," referring to remarks of the main opposition over Ozgecan's murderer.

The daily reports that Erdogan reacted to remarks by Kemal Kilicdaroglu, chairman of the Republican People's Party (CHP): "For God's sake! The man is a cruel murderer. It is not about his religion, ethnicity or social status."

Kilicdaroglu, who criticized the government for not doing enough to prevent violence against women, claimed that one of the main reasons of the killings was unemployment, which, according to him, fosters violence.

According to the main opposition party, the number of women killed has increased between 2002 and 2015, i.e. during the ruling Justice and Development, or AK Party’s term.

AKSAM also cites Erdogan: "I will do everything for the heaviest punishment."

"I will talk to the justice minister today and we will do our best so that these men get the heaviest punishment," he said on Tuesday in Ankara, referring to suspected killers.

Aslan went missing last Wednesday; her charred body was found in a riverbed on Feb. 13. Three suspects were arrested on Feb. 15 in connection with the murder, which has shocked the country.

In other news, many Turkish dailies also cover the extreme weather conditions which have hit Turkey's biggest city Istanbul.

"We are stranded in traffic," titles HURRIYET, reporting that Istanbul was hit by snowfall which began on Tuesday and will continue until Friday.

Schools in the city have been closed and more than 100 domestic and international flights were cancelled on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Numerous city ferry lines were also suspended and sea buses cancelled.

HABERTURK runs with the headline "Paralysis" and adds that several Istanbulites were stuck on the roads until the midnight.

Turkey’s National General Meteorology Directorate said that snowfall would continue intensifying on Wednesday and pause on Thursday midday local time. On Thursday night, it will reportedly start snowing again until Friday morning, the meteorology agency predicted.